Directed Energy

New age threats require new age defenses

For 40 years, Lockheed Martin has researched, designed, developed, and captured electromagnetic energy and elevated its power to create innovative Directed Energy solutions. We have developed laser weapon systems, radio frequency and other directed energy technologies for air, ground and sea platforms to provide an affordable countermeasure alternative. We are addressing critical needs such as accuracy, mobility, size, weight and power (SWaP), cooling, and minimal collateral damage.

Spectrum Technologies

Laser Weapon Systems
Specializing in high energy laser weapon systems, Lockheed Martin has a broad range of expertise and experience with advanced beam control, fiber-based spectral beam combining, specialized sensors, and system integration, including a company-sponsored 30kW ALADIN/ATHENA system supplemented by current programs such as the DE RELI/HEL-MD program for the U.S. Army.

Electro-Optic / Infrared Countermeasures
Focused on providing the most advanced laser-based threat adaptable countermeasure devices to counter all types of surface-to-air and air-to-air EO/IR threats, leveraging over 30 years of EO/IRCM development and test experience.

Feature Stories

It starts as a speck on the horizon, just a speck, no bigger than the tip of a pencil point. Then it grows, as the convoy continues to travel along its path. It’s not one speck, but many. Small drones begin to expand into the sky, and suddenly the specks become a swarm that extends above the horizon.

Star Wars technology is the stuff of fantasy (lightsabers, anyone?). However, thanks to some recent technological breakthroughs and some really smart engineers, high-tech gadgetry on par with the sci-fi silver screen may be even closer than you think.

Lasers are a hallmark of iconic comic series and science fiction novels. While their capabilities and uses vary, in most cases, lasers are highly accurate, work instantaneously and cause minimal collateral damage. But does any of the technology behind these futuristic laser-based systems have a parallel in real-life laser technology? Actually, more than you might think.

Employee Spotlight

Manish Moradia

Beam Control Software Architect

“Working on directed energy is a little like being back in engineering school,” noted Manish Moradia, Lockheed Martin beam control software architect. “Every day is different. Some days you focus on software, some days optics, some days mechanical. It’s a broad range of specialties that all have to come together.”

Manish is designing a common, modular and highly configurable beam control software architecture for laser weapon systems, satellites and missiles.

“By thinking in terms of reuse, we are taking a modular approach to architecture development. Think of it like an app store, where a customer or program could pick and choose the architecture and algorithms they need and drop it on a variety of hardware.”

For a directed energy laser weapon system, this modular and configurable software architecture will enable rapid deployment of complex system design in areas such as jitter mitigation, atmospheric compensation, tracking and pointing control and more.